Punjab elections: AAP's Chadha slams Congress for making Channi CM face; 'It is sad'

After Congress on Sunday declared that incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi will be the Chief Ministerial candidate for the forthcoming Punjab elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Raghav Chadha slammed the grand old party, stating that our of three crore Punjabis, the one accused of corruption (referring to his nephew's arrest in illegal sand mining case) was chosen as the CM face. 

Speaking to ANI, Chadha said "Congress party today is a divided house, it requires no opposition. This is deeply sad that out of three crore Punjabis, Congress chose a person (Punjab CM Channi) accused of corruption charges as their CM candidate."

Earlier, he also tweeted a video message, lambasting the Congress party

On Thursday, Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi's nephew was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) after day-long questioning in connection with the multicrore illegal sand mining case. Honey was taken to the ED office at Jalandhar after his medical at the Civil Hospital and will be produced before a CBI court in Mohali. ED officials said Rs 8 crore was recovered from premises linked to Honey in Mohali and Ludhiana and Rs 2 crore from his accomplice Sandeep. The raids were conducted at 10 locations in Ropar, Fatehgarh Sahib, and Pathankot, among others. However, CM Channi has dismissed the allegations against his relative as a political vendetta ahead of the Punjab election that is due on February 20.

Channi becomes the CM face for Punjab polls

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday declared incumbent CM Charanjit Singh Channi as the Chief Minister face for the 2022 Punjab assembly elections during a party event in Ludhiana. The announcement follows endless speculations and a close contest between Channi and state party chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

"The people of Punjab have said, not me, the thought is theirs, not mine, that they want a person from a poor household as the CM. We want someone who understands poverty, hunger, and the fears of the poor. Punjab's CM candidate is Charanjit Singh Channi Ji," said Rahul Gandhi. Punjab goes to the polls in a single phase on February 20 with results to be declared on March 10.